It’s that time of the year when people set big goals and determine New Year’s resolutions.  We all know how that goes. Some people actually do run that marathon, write that book, gain financial independence, lose 40 pounds, or whatever. But more often than not, most resolutions fall by the wayside by the end of January.  We’ve failed once again.

Define Success

What if success this year looked like becoming more of the kind of person you want to be? Whether you made huge progress or just a little, it’s still movement in the right direction and that’s a win.

Growth takes time. It’s a process.  It doesn’t happen overnight.  We set ourselves up for failure because we’re not realistic about the process of growth and change.

Here’s an example from this past year.  I wanted to become a more open and hospitable person, less selfish with my energy and resources.  To do that, I intentionally invited more people to share meals with us in our home than the previous year. Maybe a little thing, but doing so has moved me more in the direction of authentic community, meaningful relationships, and restored friendships, which is a win in my book.  Less of all of that moves me towards isolation and loneliness.

Set Yourself Up For the Win

This is how it can work:  decide what is important to you, and then determine what the opposite might be.  For example, on the More end of the continuum, you may have Health, and the other end Illness.  And then map out a few indicators on either side as steps (lower B/P, 8 hours of sleep, etc) that help you evaluate whether you are moving towards more health or away from it.

Every day we all make choices. We either move towards the things that matter to us, or we drift away from the things that matter. It’s very unlikely that we simply stay neutral.

Celebrate The Win

Set yourself up for success this year, rather than failure. What do you want to see more of in your life this year? Determine what that is, and then identify some practical and doable steps that help you move in that direction. And then every time you move in the right direction, no matter how big or small, celebrate the win!

Deuteronomy 30:19 says this:

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses… Oh, that you would choose life…!

Here’s to you, and to all of us, becoming More the people we want to be in this next year.

How About You?

What would you like to see more of in your life this next year?  What do you plan to do to make sure there’s more of that?  Leave a comment!